Literary Science 1: K-5 Mentor Texts
© 2023, 2012 Cooperative Children's Book Center
Compiled by Megan Schliesman
The Next Generation Science Standards emphasize four broad areas of science education:
- Life Science
- Earth & Space Science
- Physical Science
- Engineering & Design
This bibliography suggests children's literature titles that can be used as mentor texts across these four broad areas. This list is not meant to be exhaustive or to incorporate every science concept that is taught. Instead, it is meant to suggest ways of integrating high-quality children's literature into the science curriculum--books that model outstanding writing (mentor texts) and that can foster engagement, invite discussion, and connect science with other areas of the curriculum. Titles include picture books, novels, poetry, and books of information, as well as hybrid information/fictional offerings.
It should be noted that while the first two categories, Life Science and Earth & Space Science, offer many rich possibilities in children's literature, the other two categories, Physical Science and Engineering & Technology, present more of a challenge. Therefore, these two have been combined into a single category on this list.
Life Science
Books of Information
Chin, Jason. The Universe in You: A Microscopic Journey. Illustrated by Jason Chin. Holiday House/Neal Porter Books, 2022. 40 pages. Ages 8-11
Davies, Nicola. Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes. Illustrated by Emily Sutton. Candlewick, 2014. 32 pages. Ages 6-9
Davies, Nicola. I (Don't) Like Snakes. Illustrated by Luciano Lozano. Candlewick, 2015. 24 pages. Ages 5-9
Fleming, Candace. Giant Squid. Illustrated by Eric Rohmann. Neal Porter Books/Roaring Brook, 2016. 36 pages. Ages 6-11
Fleming, Candace. Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera. Illustrated by Eric Rohmann. Holiday House/Neal Porter Books, 2020. 44 pages. Ages 4-8
Jenkins, Steve. Never Smile at a Monkey: And 17 Other Important Things to Remember. Illustrated by Steve Jenkins. Houghton Mifflin /Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009. 32 pages. Ages 5-9
Moore, Lindsay. Yoshi and the Ocean: A Sea Turtle's Incredible Journey Home. Illustrated by Lindsay Moore. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2022. 56 pages. Ages 5-8
Stewart, Melissa and Allen Young. No Monkeys, No Chocolate. Illustrated by Nicole Wong. Charlesbridge, 2013. 32 pages. Ages 5-9
Thomas, Isabel. Moth: An Evolution Story. Illustrated by Daniel Egneus. Bloomsbury, 2019. 48 pages. Ages 6-9
Wade, Jess. Nano: The Spectacular Science of the Very (Very) Small. Illustrated by Melissa Castrillon. Candlewick, 2021. 29 pages. Ages 7-10
Picture Books and Fiction
Applegate, Katherine. Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla. Illustrated by G. Brian Karas. Clarion, 2014. 40 pages. Ages 5-9
Cyrus, Kurt. The Voyage of Turtle Rex. Illustrated by Kurt Cyrus. Harcourt /Houghton Mifflin , 2011. 32 pages. Ages 3-8
Holm, Jennifer L.. The Fourteenth Goldfish. Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, 2014. 195 pages. Ages 9-12
Hopkinson, Deborah. The Humblebee Hunter: Inspired by the Life & Experiments of Charles Darwin and His Children. Illustrated by Jen Corace. Disney/Hyperion, 2010. 32 pages. Ages 5-8
Larkin, Shabazz. The Thing About Bees: A Love Letter. Illustrated by Shabazz Larkin. Readers to Eaters, 2019. 32 pages. Ages 2-7
Park, Linda Sue. Project Mulberry. Clarion, 2005. 225 pages. Ages 9-12
Percival, Kari. How to Say Hello to a Worm: A First Guide to Outside. Illustrated by Kari Percival. Penguin Random House/Rise x Penguin Workshop, 2022. 32 pages. Ages 1-4
Wheeler, Lisa. The Pet Project: Cute and Cuddly Vicious Verses. Illustrated by Zachariah OHora. Atheneum, 2013. 36 pages. Ages 5-8
Earth & Space Science
Chin, Jason Grand Canyon. Illustrated by Jason Chin. Neal Porter Books/Roaring Brook, 2017. 42 pages. Ages 6-10
Chin, Jason Your Place in the Universe. Illustrated by Jason Chin. Holiday House/Neal Porter Books, 2020. 40 pages. Ages 7-10
Christian, Peggy If You Find a Rock. Illustrated by Barbara Hirsch Lember. Harcourt , 2000. 32 pages. Ages 3-8
Cole, Joanna The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge. Illustrated by Bruce Degen. Scholastic Press, 2010. 37 pages. Ages 7-10
Coy, John My Mighty Journey: A Waterfall's Story. Illustrated by Gaylord Schanilec. Minnesota Historical Society, 2019. 40 pages. Ages 5-11
DeCristofano, Carolyn Cinami A Black Hole Is Not a Hole. Illustrated by Michael Carroll. Charlesbridge, 2012. 74 pages. Ages 9-13
Hale, Christy Water Land: Land and Water Forms Around the World. Illustrated by Christy Hale. Neal Porter Books/Roaring Brook, 2018. 24 pages. Ages 3-8
Kajikawa, Kimiko Tsunami!. Illustrated by Ed Young. Philomel, 2009. 32 pages. Ages 5-9
Lin, Grace and Ranida T. McKneally Our Seasons. Illustrated by Grace Lin. Charlesbridge, 2006. 32 pages. Ages 4-8
Lyon, George Ella All the Water in the World. Illustrated by Katherine Tillotson. Atheneum/Richard Jackson Book, 2011. 32 pages. Ages 4-8
Manley, Curtis Just Right: Searching for the Goldilocks Planet. Illustrated by Jessica Lanan. Roaring Brook, 2019. 40 pages. Ages 7-11
Motum, Markus Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover. Illustrated by Markus Motum. Candlewick, 2018. 48 pages. Ages 4-8
Physical Science/Engineering & Design
Books of Information
Barton, Chris. Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions. Illustrated by Don Tate. Charlesbridge, 2016. 32 pages. Ages 6-11
Burns, Loree Griffin. Honeybee Rescue: A Backyard Drama. Illustrated by Ellen Harasimowicz. Charlesbridge, 2022. 40 pages. Ages 5-9
Davis, Kathryn Gibbs. Mr. Ferris and His Wheel. Illustrated by Gilbert Ford. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014. 40 pages. Ages 5-9
Fern, Tracey. Pippo the Fool. Illustrated by Pau Estrada. Charlesbridge, 2009. 40 pages. Ages 8-12
Griffith, Victoria. The Fabulous Flying Machines of Alberto Santos-Dumont. Illustrated by Eva Montanari. Abrams, 2011. 28 pages. Ages 4-8
Kamkwamba, William and Bryan Mealer. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon. Dial, 2012. 32 pages. Ages 5-9
McCarthy, Meghan. Earmuffs for Everyone! How Chester Greenwood Became Known as the Inventor of Earmuffs. Illustrated by Meghan McCarthy. Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster, 2015. 40 pages. Ages 6-9
McCully, Emily Arnold. Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E. Knight Became an Inventor. Illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2006. 32 pages. Ages 5-9
Paeff, Colleen. The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London's Poop Pollution Problem. Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster, 2021. 40 pages. Ages 7-12
Sorell, Traci. Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer. Illustrated by Natasha Donovan. Lerner/Millbrook, 2021. 32 pages. Ages 7-10
Stanley, Diane. Ada Lovelace, Poet of Science: The First Computer Programmer. Illustrated by Jessie Hartland. Simon & Schuster, 2016. 40 pages. Ages 6-10
Sweet, Melissa. Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade. Illustrated by Melissa Sweet. Houghton Mifflin /Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011. 32 pages. Ages 6-10
Picture Books and Fiction
Best, Cari. Sally Jean, the Bicycle Queen. Illustrated by Christine Davenier. Farrar Straus Giroux/Melanie Kroupa Books, 2006. 32 pages. Ages 5-9
Fleming, Candace. Papa's Mechanical Fish. Illustrated by Boris Kulikov. Farrar Straus Giroux/Margaret Ferguson Books, 2013. 40 pages. Ages 5-8
Geisert, Arthur. Lights Out. Illustrated by Arthur Geisert. Houghton Mifflin /Walter Lorraine Books, 2005. 32 pages. Ages 5-9
Lee, Suzy. Wave. Illustrated by Suzy Lee. Chronicle, 2008. 32 pages. Ages 3-6
Selznick, Brian. The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Illustrated by Brian Selznick. Scholastic Press, 2007. 533 pages. Ages 9-13
Spires, Ashley. The Most Magnificent Thing. Illustrated by Ashley Spires. Kids Can, 2014. 32 pages. Ages 4-8
Warga, Jasmine. A Rover's Story. Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins, 2022. 294 pages. Ages 8-12
Wheeler, Lisa. Someone Builds the Dream. Illustrated by Loren Long. Dial/Penguin Random House, 2021. 40 pages. Ages 4-7
Young, Cybele. Ten Birds. Illustrated by Cybele Young. Kids Can, 2011. 32 pages. Ages 4-9